Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Honeymoon Murder in Fiji
A Tennessee man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his wife during their honeymoon in Fiji. Bradley Dawson, 40, was found guilty in December 2024 of killing his 36-year-old wife, Christe Chen, at the luxurious Turtle Island resort in the Yasawa archipelago just two days after their arrival. On February 11, 2025, the High Court in Lautoka handed down the sentence, requiring Dawson to serve a minimum of 18 years before being eligible for parole.
The tragic incident occurred on July 9, 2022, when Chen was found dead in their resort room with multiple blunt trauma wounds to her head. According to reports from the Fiji Times and the Associated Press, the couple had been heard arguing before the murder. Dawson fled the scene in a kayak to a nearby island, where he was apprehended the following day with his passport and personal belongings, suggesting an attempt to escape the country.
During the sentencing, Justice Riyaz Hamza condemned Dawson’s actions, stating, “Your conduct after the incident was appalling. Having inflicted serious and life-threatening injuries to the deceased, you fled the scene, leaving her alone and helpless. Her body was discovered several hours later.” The judge emphasized that the prosecution had proven the murder charge “beyond reasonable doubt,” rejecting the defense’s argument that there was insufficient evidence.
Christe Chen, a pharmacist, and Dawson, a nonprofit IT employee, had married just three months after meeting, a whirlwind romance that shocked friends. “It was a shock. It happened so quickly,” Chen’s friend, Morrice Aperey, told PEOPLE in 2022. The couple’s honeymoon destination, Turtle Island, is famed as the filming location for the 1980 movie The Blue Lagoon.
Dawson’s defense lawyer, Anil Prasad, had argued that prosecutors lacked concrete evidence, but the court dismissed these claims. The case has drawn international attention, highlighting the tragic end to what was supposed to be a joyous celebration of love. Chen’s family and friends continue to mourn her loss, while Dawson begins his life sentence in a Fijian prison.
